Cool Facts About Epcot at Disney World

Disney World in Orlando is known as one of the greatest theme parks in the entire world, if not the greatest. Perhaps most impressive about Disneyworld is that it is not a single theme park at all. It is actually 4 distinct parts, each with its own theme and personality, as well as two different water parks and dozens of fun and family friendly hotels.

There are so many different options to choose from, and a number of reasons to visit Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. But if you’re only able to visit one theme park, you may want to consider the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow, more commonly referred to as “Epcot.”

What is Epcot?

Epcot was a dream of Walt Disney, to create a working, futuristic world. It’s also one of the last parks that people visit, because unlike Magic Kingdom and the other parks, Epcot is a bit more of an educational world. There are plenty of places to learn and interact.

But there is so much more to Epcot than meets the eye. Not only are there still many different rides, and the ability to “travel the world” by visiting many different country themed buildings, but Epcot itself has a fun, interesting history that makes it well worth a visit. The following are some fun facts about Epcot that will hopefully motivate you to go there.

The iconic ball, known as spaceship earth, weighs 8,000 tons – 16,000,000 pounds. It is also made up exclusively of metal and plastic triangles.

The “world showcase,” which is a series of buildings that represent 11 different countries, is over a mile around. Don’t forget to stop in Norway, where a ride is waiting for you.

Not every building is what it seems. The builders used optical illusions to help create different height appearances. Canada is smaller than it looks by 2 stories. USA is bigger than it looks by 2 stories.

Epcot used to have no rides at all. The original purpose was to create a futuristic, operational city. Now Epcot boasts numerous rides, from the slow and interesting to the fast and exciting. It also has a “Sum of all Thrills” ride, where you can build your own 3d roller coaster and ride it in a simulation.

There are over 26,000 feet of lights that cover the entire Epcot World Showcase.

Vegetables and fruits decorate an area called “Land Pavilion” (sometimes referred to as “The Land”) located on the western side of Future World. These plants are harvested and eaten in some of the Walt Disney restaurants. Perhaps even more impressive, the garden is used for actual research into hydroponics, irrigation, and pest control.

On a related note, one of the tomato trees (yes, that says “tomato tree”) in The Land at Epcot holds the Guinness World Record for most tomatoes in a single harvest, at over 32,000 in one year. It is the only tomato tree in existence, as tomatoes typically grow on vines. Epcot’s research lab is not just for show.

The garden also has a staff of over 50 full time horticulturists.

The IllumiNations show is a wonder in science. It has the first ever spherical display system. It weighs over 350,000 pounds. And it can launch balls of fire into the air. Disney invented a fireworks launch system with IllumiNations, using compressed air instead of powder to prevent the streak of smoke that traditional fireworks leave. There are over 2,000 fireworks at each show.

Epcot was Walt Disney’s dream. He died in 1966. Epcot was launched 16 years later in 1982. Disney’s original dream was an actual, working city, that would be home to 20,000 or more residents with all required amenities, including schools, community buildings, and more. After his death, the Disney leadership decided that they didn’t want to build a city without him, and instead turned it into a more traditional theme park, but with several unique features (like the horticulture research).

Epcot is home to the fastest ride in all Disney parks – “Test Track” – where the riders enjoy an open air car ride of 65 miles per hour.

These are only some of the many fun facts about Epcot in Disney World. For those that like to learn, there are plenty of opportunities for actual learning. For those that prefer rides, there are multiple rides available as well. Overall, you can easily spend one or two days enjoying Epcot and probably still find more to do.

If you have been considering a trip to Disneyworld, don’t forget Epcot. It may not have as many flashy rides as some of the other parks, but it is one of a unique Disney features available in the world today. For those that want to travel to Epcot with ease, please call us today about Orlando limo rentals.